Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 10, 2026
A Melanoma Patient-Derived Xenograft Model
Published on: May 20, 2019
Mohs Micrographic Surgery Is Equivalent to Nail Unit Excision or Amputation for Melanoma In Situ of the Nail Unit: A
Michelle Le1, Sofianne Gabrielli1, David Zloty2
1Division of Dermatology, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Background:
Local recurrence (LR) rates of melanoma in situ (MIS) of the nail apparatus treated with different surgical modalities are unknown.
Objective:
To evaluate the differences in LR rates of nail apparatus MIS treated with Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) versus nail unit excision (NUE) versus amputation.
Methods:
Studies of nail/subungual MIS treated with MMS, NUE, or amputation were identified through multiple literature databases, including PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library. Pooled data were assessed through meta-analyses and Fisher exact test.
Results:
Of 280 studies identified, 20 met inclusion criteria (7 comparative studies and 13 single-arm studies). Among the 7 comparative studies, the LR was 4.38% (5/114) after NUE and 2.94% (1/34) after amputation (odds ratio: 0.937; 95% CI: 0.237-3.703). In the 13 noncomparative studies, 23 patients underwent MMS (pooled LR estimate: 11.07%; 95% CI: 3.22%-31.81%) and 140 patients underwent NUE (pooled LR estimate:8.04%, 95% CI: 4.43%-14.16%). The difference in LR rate between MMS, NUE, and amputation was not statistically significant ( p = .578).
Conclusion:
Local recurrence of nail/subungual MIS in cases treated with MMS was not statistically different than in cases treated with NUE and was comparable to amputation. Further studies investigating the use of MMS for the treatment of nail/subungual MIS are warranted.
